Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-02-22
METALLIC FREAKS.
fchicsxo Herald

fChickgo HerAidl
I stood by the big California stamp.
mill at Virginia City. NsvAds. watching
the sixty pondsrOus 25o-poand Weights
laundering on the quartz. The pulp vas
being stirred In the great pans; the tail.
ings were going ou, down flame like .
mill race. Al each e,tling.pan was .
large canvas bag held In . vise.liks gnp.
I vas invited TO thrus, my hand into one
Of them. I did 30. and brOugh, up q
great handful OF something that was hea'
w and a. elusive as qaick.sand.
THAT" said Senator Fair. then sa-
perin,sndsn, Of the Big BonstEs mine,
81. smalssm.quieksilsef and gold aud
silver We put ,ha, IN rei.ho, re'or,..
The quicksilver ra',s, CT In vspor. i'
caught and preeipiiaisd. and the bullion
come. out in q blaeksnsd ba, solid mass.
Now come down 10 the rhning-room.
aud I'll show you something. Dye ever
see how silver spread. when you drop ~
I can, do ihi. az veil az Id like TO. for
there's too much gold this stuff runs 70
per cent. gold. and ii'' too heavy TO work
~ I'd like H."
Senator Fair led the way TO . room In
{. brick building adjacent. where ,-o
sres, esldrons were boiling and bubbling.
" There's half million In each Of ,hose.
said Mr.. Fair. "Johhny. clear ,hi, iron
table. and ge, me two blocks Of ice"
The Ice was brought. and the blocks
were placed q foo, apart on the iron bed.
when all was chilled. Mr.. Fair said :
"Give me a 5O.ounee ladle." The latter
va. dipped into one Of the ealdrons aud
came up with q pint Of white molten
aaid. "Now. watch" nid Mr.. fair-
lie held l, up /. high q. his arms would
reach. aud dropped !, on the cold slab
between the cake. Of ice. lie dropped
| IL In .pl.iehs. Of little more than table.
spoonful each. The eject vas marvel
Gus. As the liquid silver add gold fsll
it, Weigh, scattered !, into ten ,hoa.and
eoreeivsble shapes. and the cold chill %
.addenly applied CONCEALED Il into hun
drd THOUSAND ineonesiv.ble shapes 10 an
in,,sn'. There were 'Pl.lisr aad 'Plashe'
ard al sort. Of things. Where 'ingl'
drop would f.ll /, ~ould expand TO ,iihs
a coach wheel OF cobseb. a the firal
would take IL. II NJ. Fair dropped :
.poonfsl n,ti The cake q zee the 'plsshsi
would rise. catch CA 20 the Zee. and max
q perfect little wire forsst. II -. oa'
Of 'h- mot beautiful eight. the -ii's
bad ever seen.
"Jr-,l,r and ,il,,rmiit.. .i VI
Pair. "g,i goL macy Il their iss
from ja't such iiio.yf erseles Of 'ilvs
bullion. hs,s bed it up before no-
ifoppsd T. .nd seen come oii the oties
AMI most sufp'isins fofms Lon hsmil
ton. jones' bfo'L'Tin.l,s. has . cIn
. e'e coach ssd.four srd hounds bshia'
-'h- r'uli u just one 'pl.sh On cak
OF ies down a, TIE Bslekr OH lhing
Ia silver Oh. the .il,sismiiks ate mon
p,rf,et han ~e are. bit III be, Cat
bold ,hi. l.dls up. drup the whole " 3
on ,ka, cold ,l.b. and you ~ill see va
risiy Of forms. devices ard gro,s.qusris'
such {. you never dreamed. Johnny
give me fresh lAdle. Nov, stand away
Her. she gos," aud pin, Of mol,sr
silver ~ent out on the slab.
Ten thousand shape. were there There
were forest. and streams, and birds Ant
reptiles. and rock. and mountains. II
have picked on, al would have been I
weeks task
"Chuek 4, back in,o the pan" 'Aid
Mr.. Fair. "Gi'e me another lsdle. Now
watch this"
Down /, wen, on the cold slab. There
we're elephants, girsiis.. lions aud dog',
and African bungalows. and on one 'pla't
. marching regiment could have beer
made on, BY bat ,rhing stretch Of the
Imagination.